Kurai sat under the moonlit canopy, breath still ragged from the grueling effort of forging his Aether core. A faint bronze gleam pulsed at his center, like an ember of renewed power.Before he could contemplate this new reality further, a screech knifed through the silence. The jungle, so alive with insect hums and distant rustles, fell eerily still. Kurai's eyes flew open. Even in the darkness, he sensed something vast moving across the sky.
***
The first sign of danger was an immense shadow passing over the trees. In the camp below, those still awake or half-dozing jolted upright at the screech. Sparks of the dying fire licked the air as Jace, Elias, Mira, Theo, and the newcomers—Gaius, Aera, Darin, and Joran—scrambled for weapons.
A second shriek, louder, closer.Mira glimpsed a massive silhouette just above the treeline: a winged monstrosity, its body seemingly carved from black sinew and glistening scales, like every other horror that haunted this realm—but far larger. And it wasn't alone. Two more shapes soared through the gloom, circling with predatory patience.Aera's breath caught in her throat as she recognized them from a distance. "Those are the ones we saw from the mountain," she hissed, voice trembling. "They've been watching us all along…"
The creatures stooped low, revealing thin, membranous wings stretched taut over twisted frames. Gaius felt a chill race through his gut.
***
Kurai was the first to act. The instant he spotted those black shapes, he leapt to his feet, steel naginata held at the ready. A single winged beast dove, its talons raking the canopy as it aimed straight for him.It was on him before he could fully brace himself. Claws met metal with a jarring crash. Kurai hissed, summoning the new wellspring of Aether to push back. For a heartbeat, he held firm, the naginata's blade biting into the creature's forelimb. But the monster wrenched free with shocking strength, flinging Kurai backward into a stand of thin trees. Bark splintered under the impact.
They're stronger than any I've faced yet. The thought came with a surge of alarm—and a flicker of grim understanding. They might have been… restricted before. Now, they're free to hunt.
***
The winged abominations tore through the treetops, forcing the camp into a panicked scramble. One of them plunged down amid the survivors. Mira and Theo barely ducked in time as a gust of rank wind battered them. Jace lunged, spear outthrust, only for the beast's barbed tail to whip him aside like a ragdoll. Elias managed a thrust that glanced off thick scales but did little else.
A second shriek—another dive—sent them scattering. Aera cried out as the beast's claw swiped her side, ripping cloth and drawing blood. Darin and Joran tried to jab their spears upward, but the creature buffeted them away with a single wingbeat.
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From the corner of his eye, Gaius saw Kurai reappear, naginata in hand. The samurai's aura flared with Aether, and for a moment Gaius dared hope they could drive these horrors back.Then the largest beast descended with a roar, smashing into Kurai at full velocity.
Kurai's defense buckled under the blow. His blade bit deep into the monster's flank, but its hide held in ways no normal flesh should. The creature screeched, forcing him to his knees. As he strained against the onslaught, his newly-formed Aether core thrummed—and still it wasn't enough.
"Run!"
Across the clearing, the rest of the group had no time to regroup. A monstrous tail lashed out, toppling Joran and Darin. Aera staggered, pressing a trembling hand to the wound on her side.
"Go!" Kurai roared, voice raw. "Get out of here!"
Theo, eyes wide with terror, grabbed Mira's arm. Jace blinked, stunned, then took hold of Elias's shoulder. They retreated into the jungle, the beasts' shrieks echoing behind them. Aera and Darin followed, half-carrying Joran away from the chaos. Only Gaius remained, rushing to Kurai's side instead of fleeing.
"Idiot—!" Kurai spat, pain sparking in every syllable. The winged beast ripped free of the naginata's blade and lunged, talons extended. Kurai spun, aiming to deflect, but the strike came too fast. He braced, expecting to feel rending pain—Gaius slammed in from the side, driving his crude knuckle-blade into the monster's flank. It wasn't enough to stop the massive blow, but it redirected its angle. The claw that should have gutted Kurai tore across Gaius's arm instead. Bone cracked. Gaius let out a guttural scream, collapsing as blood pulsed from the stump where his arm had been.
"No!" Kurai's voice resounded. Another strike landed—this time slamming into his face. Razor-sharp talons raked across his eyes, blinding him with burning agony. His vision went dark as he toppled to the ground, a raw howl tearing from his throat.
In the throes of desperation, Kurai lashed out with the last of his strength, whilst grabbing the back of Gaius's leather armour. Blinded and half-suffocated by blood, he staggered for the river's edge, dragging the wounded gladiator with him. The monstrous abomination shrieked overhead, but Kurai couldn't see it. He felt its foul breath gust across them, the slash of wind from its beating wings.
Then gravity lurched. A final step gave way to empty air, and both men plunged into the water. Cold shock stole Kurai's breath. His world became a torrent, the current crashing over them. Gaius's weight yanked them under, limbs thrashing as the water swallowed them whole.
Above, the winged creature screeched in fury, circling the riverbank. But the current had them now, sweeping them downstream quickly picking up pace. Gaius, half-conscious, clung instinctively to Kurai despite the throbbing stump that was once his arm. Kurai, eyes ruined, gasped and sputtered for air. He fought to keep them both afloat, guided only by the savage rush of water and the dull sense of Aether pulsing in his battered core.
Behind them, the remnants of the camp lay in disarray. Theo, Mira, Jace, Elias, Aera, Darin, and Joran had managed to flee into the shadows of the jungle. Whether they survived the pursuit, Kurai could not know. He only knew the chilling truth: the winged nightmares were far beyond any threat they had faced before—and neither Aether nor steel had been enough to stop them.The river roared on, carrying Kurai and Gaius into an unknown darkness.